89 Politeia Vol 31 No 2 2012 © Unisa Press pp 89-108 NON-RACIALISM, NATION-BUILDING AND DEMOCRATIC CONSOLIDATION IN SOUTH AFRICA Joleen Steyn Kotze Department of Political Science (NMMU) Joleen.steynkotze@nmmu.ac.za South Africa is a country in which one can expect the unexpected. An inspiration for all. What made it possible was the determination of the people to work together…to transform bitter experiences into the binding glue of a rainbow nation (Koi Annan, 2009) ABSTRACT A central tenet to successful democratic consolidation is the engineering of a national identity for social cohesion. in the case of South Africa, the doctrine of non-racialism underpinned by being African can serve as ideological ‘glue’ to create a sense of South African nationhood in a post-apartheid context. however, seventeen years into South Africa’s democratic experiment, the country is still plagued by apartheid-constructed identities and divisions rooted in both socio- political and socio-economic life. indeed, much political rhetoric emerging from civic and political organisation has re-racialised South African society, rendering a commitment to non-racialism somewhat ineffective. in this context, this paper has two central objectives. firstly, it traces the centrality of engineering citizenship as central to long-term democratic durability and sustainability in emerging democracies. in this sense, democratic consolidation is dependent upon the successful creation of citizenship, and more specifically, South African citizenship. Secondly, the paper assesses non-racialism as an ideological driver to nation formation and building in South Africa. essentially, it is argued that deracialising South African society is dependent upon a normative commitment of the citizenry and political elites to the principles of non-racialism in a pluralist polity characterised by diversity and multiculturalism. Key words: ? INTRODUCTION Seventeen years into South Africa’s democratic experiment, one still inds fragmented citizenship, and the notion of race still dictates in socio-political life and experiences